as in raining
to fall as water in a continuous stream of drops from the clouds
the air mass was dry, as much of the moisture had precipitated out on the other side of the mountains
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of precipitating
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Fear of a repeat invasion also led Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev to send nuclear missiles to Cuba, precipitating the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962 that nearly led to nuclear war.
—
Kevin A. Young,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
And then a track number is posted, precipitating a mad dash that runs somewhere between the running of the bulls in Pamplona and entering Wal-Mart on Black Friday in 1999.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Iranian strikes have targeted the energy infrastructure of its neighbors and instituted a blockade on the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world's oil and gas was shipped before the war, precipitating the worst energy shock in decades.
—
Katrina Bishop,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Its Jupiter-crossing orbit leads to gravitational interactions, precipitating a future ejection in 2098.
—
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
Some survivors have criticized the process and called for full release of the files, which are precipitating global fallout.
—
John Parkinson,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Clegg was central to Meta’s decision to take a hard line against Moscow, precipitating an all-out ban on Facebook and Instagram in Russia.
—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
18 Jan. 2026
The quick pronouncement by administration officials before any meaningful investigation could be completed has raised concerns about the federal government’s determination to conduct a thorough review of the chain of events precipitating the shooting.
—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
The second episode… [is about] the fall of the group, precipitating [John Pearson’s] leaving, the downfall.
—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
16 June 2026
Fear of a repeat invasion also led Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev to send nuclear missiles to Cuba, precipitating the Cuban missile crisis of October 1962 that nearly led to nuclear war.
—
Kevin A. Young,
The Conversation,
8 June 2026
And then a track number is posted, precipitating a mad dash that runs somewhere between the running of the bulls in Pamplona and entering Wal-Mart on Black Friday in 1999.
—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Iranian strikes have targeted the energy infrastructure of its neighbors and instituted a blockade on the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of the world's oil and gas was shipped before the war, precipitating the worst energy shock in decades.
—
Katrina Bishop,
CNBC,
24 Apr. 2026
Its Jupiter-crossing orbit leads to gravitational interactions, precipitating a future ejection in 2098.
—
Big Think,
2 Mar. 2026
Some survivors have criticized the process and called for full release of the files, which are precipitating global fallout.
—
John Parkinson,
ABC News,
24 Feb. 2026
When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Clegg was central to Meta’s decision to take a hard line against Moscow, precipitating an all-out ban on Facebook and Instagram in Russia.
—
Bobby Ghosh,
Time,
18 Jan. 2026
The quick pronouncement by administration officials before any meaningful investigation could be completed has raised concerns about the federal government’s determination to conduct a thorough review of the chain of events precipitating the shooting.
—
Alanna Durkin Richer,
Fortune,
14 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for precipitating
Adjective
-
Most riders understand why the trip costs more on a rainy Friday afternoon than on a quiet Sunday morning; adjusting prices for weather, traffic, or supply is a transparent way to balance a market.
-
The rainy season in South Florida attracts more amphibious jumpers to home yards — and every pet owner should fear one kind.
Verb
-
In the 42nd minute, Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo held the ball near midfield, and audible boos came raining down from the crowd.
-
Just this week, Russia launched one of its largest attacks on civilian infrastructure in Ukraine yet, an 11-hour barrage of missiles and drones raining over Kiev that killed at least 20.
Adjective
-
Drive at a reduced speed during wet weather.
-
In May, confirming rumors that had been swirling for months, Anthropic’s life sciences lead Eric Kauderer-Abrams publicly acknowledged that the company is building out its own wet labs and hiring biologists to run its own basic research.
Verb
-
According to the department, adults nearby extinguished the flames by pouring water on the children until paramedics arrived.
-
This includes pouring over hundreds of pages of documents and conducting on-site visits to see the situation on the ground.
Verb
-
They were easily beaten by Brazil in the final match of the group stage, and their head coach Steve Clarke came in for criticism after storming out of his post-match interview before stepping down from his role when their exit was confirmed on Saturday.
-
Listen to Hoffman discuss storming out of the Emmys in the Bald and the Beautiful episode above.
Verb
-
Xenophobia has enveloped South Africa for years, and now a rising tide of anti-migrant views is flooding the country.
-
Harold remembers crowds flooding in the day the doors opened.
Cite this Entry
“Precipitating.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/precipitating. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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